Rotary well-drilling apparatus



C. S. WRIGHT.

ROTARY WELL DRILLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I4. I9I9.

.w NWIMWW wm .In M H I b W MLU m vv U VAN mm. n w N E m w .m I I Tf I xy I l A A A. N\I/ I Om.. I U N I #w H :m .n A \\\\\\/y\ H Y Q Q f m l//m\ m om L I/-IIII/ Y IIS G rm, Q\ Q 0 M E Wvl. n /H A A 9. w. I. 0 NIIwvs 3 l 1 L u /w/ T 3 .Mm v l \\w ww m., n hw@ A A meer e @ya j A I4- V C. S. WRIGHT. ROTARY WELL DRTLLING APPARATUS. AFPucATloN man APH. 14. T919. 1,331,309. Patented Feb. 17,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESS INVENTOR.

' larger 45'shoulder 9 on which the table-bushing 10,

UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oFFIoE.

CLYDE S. WRIGHT, OF TOLEDO, OEIIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL SUPPLY COMPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17', 1920.

Application'led April 14, 1919. Serial No. 289,901.

5 of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Rotary Well-Drilling Apparatus, of which the following is a speci# ication.

My invention relates to rotary wellfdrill- L ing and more particularly to devices for coplnecting the drilling string with a rotary ta e. l

The lobject of this invention is to provide a plurality of. drill-stems which may be l used in tandem, whereby a greater depth may be drilled before disconnecting the string'and inserting additional sections to the string, .than with the usual single section of drill stem. Another object is to Z0 provide a novel means for connecting the drill stem and the rotary table. Other obl Jects appear hereinafte Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a central .vertical section of an apparatus containing my invention, the

drill-stems being in side elevation; Fig. 2, a vcentral vertical section taken at an angle Ato Vthat of Fig. 1;' Fig. V3, a top plan view of vthe master-driver; Fig. 4, a side elevation B0 of the same; Fig. 5, a .Cross-section'through the master-driver, the driver-bushing, and

the drill-stem, the section being taken on the line V-V of Fig. 2; Fig. 6, a viewy of the driver-bushing; and Fig.

side elevation thereof.

On the drawings, 1 designates the rotaryv table resting on the tapered rollers 2 in the race 3 in the lowerside of the table and in the race 4 in the upper side of the base 5. The base has a large central opening 6 in which the ange 7 on the lower side "of the table lits. The table has a central opening 8 having its upper portion with a diameter,4 thereby forming the which ts the opening 8, vrests.

The table-bushing has the central vertical opening 11 which tapers downwardly to a point near the bottom of the bushing and then flares to the bottom thereof. This bushing has also a pair of opposite vertical grooves 12. Y v

' 13 is .the master-driver. It is divided longitudinally, that is', vertically, into .halves .23. The

which niay be securely connected together by the bolts 14 passed through the ears 15 on the respective halves of the master-driver.. The latter 'extends through the opening 11- in the bushing 10 and fits the narrowest portion thereof. It preferably extends somewhat above and below the table and has the horizontal flange 16 which rests upon the table-bushing 10 while a portion 17 just below the ange itsthe adjacent part of the opening 11, whereby the masterdriver is both supported and prevented from lateralfmovement. The master-driver 13 has also a pair of opposite lugs or keys 18 which are in the grooves 12 when this driver is in operating position, so that the rotation of the table by means of the pinion 19 and teeth 20 on the under side of the table, causes the said driver to rotate also.

The master-driver 13 has a central vertical opening provided` in its interior wall with a number of preferably angular vertical grooves 21, which extend from the top thereof to the inturned annular iange 22.

at the bottom thereof. The driver bushing or key 23 is slidable in the openin in the master-driver 13 and has the longitudinal external ribs 24 which fit the grooves 21. The driver bushing 23 is divided into lateral halves, as' shown on Figs. 5 an 6. It has a vertical opening extending entirely through it and its internal wall is provided preferably with angular vertical ribs 25 opposite the ribs 24.

I show only a portion of a drilling-string. I show only two drill-stems 26 'and 27 connected by the coupling .28, the drill being carried by sections of tubin carried by the stem 27 in a manner well nown. The

drill stems and couplings are of a size to pass the ange 22. Each` drill stem has.

those ofthe ribs 25 of the driver bushing rooves 29 stop short of the ends of the dri l-stems, or at least the lower end thereof, whereby shoulders 30 are provided for engagement with the ends of the .ribs

25. The extreme ends of the drill-stems are reduced in diameter'as shown at 31 so that the couplings 28 may be of a size to pass the ange 22.

The drill-stem 27 having been lowered Yto the position occupied by the' drill-stem 26 on Fig. 1, the halves of the driver bushing 23 are dropped into the master-driver 13 with the ribs 24 in the grooves 21 and with the ribs 25 in the grooves 29. The drill-string is then operated in the usual way, the string descending until the driver bushing 23 reaches the flange 22 (Fig. 2), where it rests until the upper ends of the grooves come near to or reach the upper end of the bushing 23. Then the string is lifted, the shoulders at the ends of the grooves 29 raising the bushing 23 until the latter is carried to the top of the master-driver 13 when the sections of the driver bushing 23 fall out or are removed. Then the string is lowered and when the drill-stem 26 reaches the position shown on Fig. l, the driver bushing 23 is applied as before to connect the drill-stem 26 to the masterdriver 13. rIhe operation proceeds as before, as long as there are any drill-stems left above to be used. Then the string will be raisedand tubing will be inserted in the string below the drill-stems, and the drilling operation will proceed as described.

In the ordinary drilling of wells, it is necessary ,from time to time to insert a length (about 20 feet) of drill pipe between the lower end of the drill-stem and the top section of the drill-pipe. To do this it is necessary to raise the entire string until the upper end ofthe drill-pipeis above the table. The string has to be supported andv the drill-stem removed and a new, 20-foot section screwed on. The drill-section has to be attached again and the string lowered to the drilling position when the drilling proceeds for another twenty feet. Then another twenty-foot section of drill-pipe must be inserted in the string and so on during the drilling of the Well. With my invention three twenty-foot lengths, for example, of drill pipe may be screwed together and inserted into the string. The drilling can proceed until the well-hole has been sunk sixty feet before it is necessary to insert `any more drill-pipes.

The length of the n'iaster-driver 13 is preferably such that, when the upper ends of the grooves 29 in the lower drill-stein reach the driver-bushing 2'3 resting on theV flange 22, the lower ends of the grooves 29 on the next upper drill-stem have entered the master-driver suliiciently far to retain the section of the driver-bushing in place.

Various changes may be made inthe shapes, sizes, and arrangements of the various parts of my invention without departing from the spirit of my. invention as defined in the appended claims.`

I claim:

1. In al rotary well-drilling apparatus, a horizontal rotary table having a vertical opening therethrough, a vertical tubular master-driver seated in the opening, having non-rotatable connection with the table, and extended appreciably vvertically beyond the table, a drill-stem in the master-driver, a pair of keys having sliding and non-rota- -tive connection with both the masterdriver and the drill-stem, and means at the bottom of the master-driver for stopping the downward travel of the keys.

2. In a rotary well-drilling apparatus, a horizontal rotary table having a vertical opening therethrough, l a vertical tubular master-driver seated in the opening, having non-rotatable connection with the table, and extended appreciably vertically beyond the table, a drill-stem in the master-driver, a pair of keys having sliding and non-rotative connection with both the master-driver and the drill-stem, and having travel below the' top of the master-driver, and means at the bottom of the master-driver for stopping the downward travelof *he keysL Signed at Toledo, Ohio, this 10th day of 'i April, 1919.

CLYDE S. WRIGHT. 

